Where is Derek?

This is day two of my six week summer vacation. This day started out really miserable but I was on vacation and I am going to have a good time. Checkout the rain during Thailand’s raining season.

[ Life.Iz.Good ]

This is the start of my summer vacation 2009. I wen to Thailand, Laos and Cambodia and saw things like: the sex shows in Bangkok ala Patpong and Nana, the full moon party on Koh Phang Ngan, Maya Bay aka the beach from the movie “The Beach”, petted tigers, downed a motorcycle in the hills in Northern Thailand, swam with sharks, went tubing in Vang VIen, saw Angkor Wat in Siam Reap as well as met countless interesting individuals in my short but life altering 6 weeks in southeast Asia.

This first post will be about my time in Bangkok: Day One. I arrived from Tokyo around 11pm and had to find the place that I was going to stay at which was the Sukhumvit Soi 1 guesthouse on the Ploen Chit stop on the BTS Skytrain. This place was kind of expensive at 350 baht a night in a dorm with no A/C but it in the heart of the city. The only bad thing about this place was that it was one stop away from the notorious Nana area of Bangkok. For those who don’t know, there are many Nana couples or older men with young Thai girls. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know what is going on here. If you want to stay near Khao San Rd aka the Backpackers ghetto of Bangkok, I would stay in an area called Bamplampoo? It is towards the big canal on the west side. You can get a single room with a fan for 300 baht with shared bathroom, plus there is a lot of live music venues and places to hanging out. It is so easy to meet people in this neighborhood. If you are a total newb to Bangkok, here is a good place to start but I wouldn’t want to spend more than two days here, there are cooler places.

Sukhumvit Soi 1 Guesthose – Bangkok 350 baht a night for a dorm room with a/c

My first day in Thailand, I just went around the city looking at the major sites of the Grand Palace and the Wat Phra Kaew as well as a bunch of other Wats. What impressed me most was the small canal boats. You just jump on and off and they cost 12 baht!

The small canal boats were packed with people because I went during rush hour. Wow, the system they worked out for getting people on and off, wouldn’t fly in Tokyo, that’s for sure.

Inside the canal boat with people going to work. It was very crowded and you could feel the splash of the water because the boat hung really low to the surface of the water. I was surprised it didn’t tip over. These side canals were pretty narrow btw.

Some of the cool things you see as you take a small canal boat.

As I walked the streets of Bangkok, I happened upon many places with a lot of character.

Pictures around Wat Phra Kaew aka The Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Miniature model of Angkor Wat… Foreshadowing the things to come…

Behold the Emerald Buddha. I didn’t think it was so impressive. And you couldn’t take a picture of it, indoors. Sorry for the crappy picture.

Going to another Wat, Wat Arun. This one was interesting because it was heavily influenced by the Chinese and the Statues had western hats on them as well as stupas with a myriad of colored tiles. Pretty cool.

Next up is Wat Pho aka the Temple of the Reclining Buddha..

And heading back from a long and tiring day of sightseeing. I remember how humid and hot it was that day. It rained in the morning and the rest of the day was muggy and oppressive but still a lot of fun.

[ Life.Iz.Good ]

I am spending my last days in Bangkok at the Sukhumvit On Nut Guest house in On Nut. This place is run by a Japanese family and is a definite recommend. A/C and a friendly atmosphere. Going to see Glorious Basterds tonight with people from the guest house. I will stuff my face full of cheap Thai food tomorrow because it is so expensive in Japan. I cant wait to go back home…

[ Life.Iz.Good ]

I am back in Bangkok, Thailand for the remainder of my vacation. What a trip this has been, filled up with a lot of adventure and excitement. Leaving Cambodia for Thailand, there is a noticeable difference in quality of living between both countries. Thailand feels like very modern as Cambodia still searches for itself. Laos is proud of their history and cling on to it dearly.

The one thing that I wish more Cambodians did as to be proud in their Khmer roots. Their country is home to the mighty Angkor Wat! But alas, they are still struggling due to the Khmer Rouge who set the country back for generations. The Cambodian people are hard working though and it shows. While the Lao people are really relaxed, the Cambodians are always up to make some money but sometimes at the expense of their countries resources, for example the trees in Cambodia are being cut down at an alarming rate.

I have learned a lot about myself and about life in general by traveling through southeast Asia. I need time to reflect because as of right now I am tired and hungry. I will write more soon. Pictures and video coming soon. I promise.

[ Life.Iz.Good ]